Kai Asakura faces Qileng Aori at UFC Shanghai Aug. 29

Kai Asakura will look to string together wins at bantamweight when he meets Qileng Aori at UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29, Sherdog reports.

Asakura dropped his first two UFC bouts at flyweight — submitted by former champion Alexandre Pantoja and Tim Elliott — before moving to 135 pounds in May. He stopped Cameron Smotherman at UFC Macau for his first promotional victory, his 17th finish in 22 career wins. Now he gets a second crack at building a streak in the heavier division.

Aori brings inconsistent form into Shanghai bout

Aori enters the matchup with a 4-5-1 UFC record and just two wins in his last six outings. The 33-year-old Chinese fighter dropped a TKO to Cody Haddon in May and has struggled to find consistency at bantamweight.

The Shanghai card features a bantamweight headliner between Umar Nurmagomedov and Yadong Song. Other Chinese fighters confirmed for the event include former title challenger Xiaonan Yan, veteran flyweight Su Mudaerji, and UFC newcomer Ce Liu.

Asakura compiled a strong record with Rizin Fighting Federation before joining the UFC, but flyweight proved too small after two consecutive defeats. His knockout of Smotherman in Macau suggested bantamweight suits him better. A win over Aori would give him his first promotional win streak heading into the fall.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Kai Asakura finally has momentum; UFC Shanghai will test it